The Children's Crusade: A Novel

Unexpected basis for this examination of a family in California; concentration not interrupted by finding incorrect grammar or usage. Characters well-rounded and realistic. Satisfying read, logical if disappointing ending: satisfying in redemption and disappointing in loss.
Mary Rogers

Our book club read and reviewed this book and we had to donate two meetings just for this book
The characters were interesting and the book was an easy read
We had great discussions around The Children's Crusade

This books starts with a young doctor, who has returned from Vietnam, pondering the wonder of the oaks and landscape of California, but then it turns out that it is his father who has really experienced this and bought the land which becomes the family heritage. The author slowly reveals the characters in the family, and eventually one can better understand the moods and motives of each. I was quite overwhelmed by the thoughtful treatment of the children by their father, and then their thoughtful treatment of each other, but puzzled by their mother. It is a good book to reread and is one of the best books I have read in some time.

I'm reading the last chapter now, and I'm not happy with that surprise. I was able to connect the family with my own, as well as others I know. The relationship (in detail) between Sierra and Ryan was unnecessary to the story line. A good read.

Very laborious and the overall result is less than satisfying. The in-depth look at the children's lives was well done, yet Packer never gives us what we need about the mother who becomes the main character. Disappointing but of course well written.

An excellent work. Anyone with siblings could recognize themselves in at least one of the children. The idea that no two children have the same parent is a central theme as well as the idea that even families which love each other have trials to bear. I like that the mother and father's roles seemed to be reversed and how that effected the family as a whole. Packer's descriptive and empathetic look at how children see the world as youngsters and adults rang true. And, by the time the story was over, the reader will miss them all, even those which were seemingly unbelievable.

That's how I feel, very grateful, that I've never been part of a family with the dynamics such as the ones so clearly shown in this one. Most obviously demonstrated in this writing is how children develop along the paths that have been set before them. It was most interesting to follow the emerging adulthood of such different personalities. Although I didn't especially like any of the 6 main characters I found I needed to follow them to the last page of the book.

I was so excited to see a new book by Ann Packer, for I loved and still treasure the journey of THE DIVE FROM CLAUSEN'S PIER. Unfortunately, this new book has none of the deep emotions and conflicts of her first book. I bought the hard cover because I expected this book to become one of my "go to" books to reread. About half-way through I realized I didn't care a fig for anyone in the family and I stopped reading. I will donate my hard copy (barely used) to our local library. Certainly there are people who will relate to the plight of the characters and enjoy Packer's work. I am truly sad to feel this way about this book.

Ann Packer is a master storyteller! In “The Children’s Crusade,” she casts her unflinching gaze on the Blair family, and in stunning prose captures the texture and mystery of what it means to be a family—its mix of competing desires, loyalties, secret joys and festering resentments. Told from multiple points of view and covering a span of five decades, the novel fully inhabits the struggle of each member of the Blair family to remain true to themselves, yet true to those they love, and how sometimes it’s impossible to do both. This novel is a tour de force; it will break your heart at the same time it heals it.

The characters were so well fleshed out and thoughtful. I was able to visualize the story through her beautiful use of language and feel the emotions of the different family members. I was sorry for the story to end. I want to know what happened afterward. And isn't that the essence of a great book?

I read "The Dive From Clausen's Pier" it was good & I got something possitive from reading it. Good characters. I thought I would try another book from Ann Packer, "The Children's Crusade" I don't see the point in it, I am half way through & I am giving up on it. What is the point to this book, I don't get it? I wish I could get my money back & the time I spent reading it. Too bad. I would give this book no stars.

Long. Slow. Bleak. I put this book down many times because it is a story of a family who, though they had some happy moments, seemed to be pretty miserable as a family unit. I think I kept reading because I was hoping that, as adults, they would find some happiness in life.

Getting to know,intimately, each member. of the Blair family, as kids, young adults and later on; as well as the parents.My feelings for each changed as time went on. What a great book that makes one reflect on his or her family dynamics. I hated this book to end!

Kept my attention; I cared about the characters & was surprised by the ending. Most disfumctional family stories just make me angry. In the end, this one turned out better than it had any right to, probably due to the enduring love of of the father and the brilliance and love of the kids for each other.

Phew! You know all those jokes about having to get drunk or behave in some other such activity after spending too much time with your family? Well, that is how I felt after spending time with the Blair family. This is not to say that this is a bad book--there is actually much to recommend it--but I, personally, did not enjoy it. Admittedly, I'm not a reader who needs to enjoy a book in order to appreciate a book and, for the most part, I did appreciate this one.

The best way I can think of to describe this book to someone is to think of an unfunny and dramatic version of Parenthood--the movie, not the TV show. Four adult children come together to deal with their childhoods under the shadow of their ever-present (but deceased) father and their absent mother. As is common with families, each child had a role--the oldest, the responsible and only girl, the treasured one, and the"bad" one and, as adults, they are all dealing with these roles.

The drama in this book is very realistic and, because of that, very painful. I am sure that readers who enjoy family dramas will have more success with this title than I did. Each of the children are explored, both as kids and as adults, and that results in 4 thorough character studies. I found the oldest two children, Robert and Rebecca, the easiest to relate to. The youngest, James, was at least understandable by the end of the book. Ryan, however, never really gelled as a real character for me. My guess is that Packer was trying to play with the idea of gender with him--he is heterosexual, but very feminine. While I don't think there is anything wrong with that, I don't feel it was done in a way that was effective and I'm not sure why that is. It wasn't that he was or wasn't likable, he just seemed like a lot was put on him, but he didn't have the depth as a character to pull it off.

The two people who were very problematic for me were the parents, Bill and Penny. We never really get to know Penny--there are a few passages that were told from her point of view, but mostly she was removed from the rest of the family. On the whole, I understand why Packer did this--the fact that Penny was not involved in her children's lives is an important element of the development of the children's characters. However, I wish Packer had committed to either telling more of the story from Penny's eyes or opted not to tell anything from her eyes.

Then we have Bill. Honestly, Bill makes Cliff Huxtable look like Al Bundy on a bad day. Really, this guy is just too good to be true. And the fact that he didn't seem true to me was a big issue for me as it seemed to undermine the entire book. I kept wishing that there would be some kind of character flaw in this guy to make him human.

I am the first to admit that family dramas can be hard for me as I find them intrinsically stressful. I know that there are many, many readers who are more interested in this than I am and I think that, if family drama is in your wheelhouse, this may be a good book for you. I also think that this would be an excellent book club selection as families always provide much fodder for conversation. However, if you prefer your family drama to be a bit--I don't know--lighter, you may want to approach this book with caution.

I'd rate this 4.5 stars.

Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

"Children deserve care."

So is the motto of Bay Area pediatrician Bill Blair. When he finished serving in the Korean War, he left his Michigan home and decided to pursue a degree in pediatric medicine in San Francisco. While on a leisurely drive into the Portola Valley one day, he came upon three acres of wooded land which he was so taken by, he purchased it on a whim. Of course, he had no money to actually build on the land, so he just visited it from time to time.

When he meets shy Penny Greenway, he finds underneath her calm demeanor a reservoir of passion and yearning, and they plan a life together, one in which they will build a house on Bill's land and raise three children. And although the house works out as planned, they wind up having four children, which upsets Penny more than she's willing to let on, and ultimately, being a wife and mother isn't enough to satisfy her, and she seeks the opportunity to become an artist, without much worry about what that might do to her family.

Years later, Bill and Penny's children are grown, with the three oldest still living near their childhood home, while the youngest, James, the hyperactive "problem child," has never settled down. Yet James' return to his hometown unsettles the stable lives of his siblings—Robert, a doctor like their father; Rebecca, a psychiatrist; and Ryan, a schoolteacher—and unearths old resentments among each of them, and raises questions about the state of their parents' relationship when they were growing up. James is still the one no one can contain or control, he is still the one easily dissatisfied and mercurial, yet he desperately wants to belong, whether among his siblings or in the community where he lives.

Ann Packer's The Children's Crusade is a tremendously well-written, intriguing, and emotional look at family dynamics, and how the decisions adults make while parenting have the potential to cause ripples in their children's lives for years to come. It's also a story of regrets, unfulfilled wishes, fears, things unsaid, and both the power and peril of memory.

"I remembered my memory of the moment, because after so long that's what memory is: the replaying of filmstrip that's slightly warped from having gone through the projector so many times. I'll never know what actually happened and what distortions I added."

The book shifts between present day, looking at each of the adult children, and key moments in their childhood and Bill and Penny's marriage. Packer does a great job developing her characters and drawing you into their lives. The majority of the characters aren't completely likeable, but you feel for them, and you want to know what happens to them even after the book has ended.

Packer's The Dive from Clausen's Pier remains a book that has stuck with me years after I read it, and I've always been a fan of her writing. While The Children's Crusade moves slower than that book, it's still a rich, complex story that I enjoyed tremendously.

Ann Packer's new novel The Children's Crusade will not disappoint fans of her previous novel The Dive From Clausen's Pier .

The Children's Crusade explores the private and corporate failures of the Blair family. Physician Bill returns from the Korean War tired of death; he decides to specialize as a pediatrician. Surrounded by children perhaps he could regain his optimism. First he buys a plot of California land surrounding a California Live Oak tree; he plans to build a home there some day.

He meets Penney, a woman who has never found herself. They fall in love. Penney dreams of having three children. They marry and seem destined for fulfillment and happiness.

The novel fast forwards. There are now four Blair children: Rebecca the analytic psychologist; Robert the dependable doctor; the romantic Ryan who teaches at his childhood school; and James, the 'problem' child, impetuous and emotional. Penney has discovered a career in art. Bill has died. Their childhood home is now in the 'Silicon Valley', rented out until Penney and one child decide to sell.

Packer allows us to discover each character in the first person, learning about their childhood memories and adult life. The characters are vivid and alive, complicated and flawed, sympathetic and likable.

Penny became overwhelmed by family needs, her self-expectations to be the perfect housewife, and especially by her youngest child James. He was the kid who soiled his pants and sat in a patch of poison oak while removing them; whose emotional outbursts could only be tamed by his father's calm presence. Penney turned a shed into a separate world where she immersed herself in art made of found objects. 'Prefect' Bill kept the family together in spite of his long hours as a pediatrician. With an absentee mother, the older children had to care for James. They are overwhelmed and fail. When their mother started to drift away Rebecca had come up with the idea of a 'crusade,' finding ways to involve their mother back in their lives.

Adult James returns to his family to take stock of his choices. After years of restlessness, he settles in Eugene, OR where he has become part of a community that accepts him and affirms his strengths. James now has to make a hard decision. He is in a relationship that threatens to destroy the community that has given him family. Instead of support he finds himself trapped in the 'loser' role of his childhood, his siblings still in the roles of caretakers, not friends. It has been years since he has spoken to the mother who emotionally abandoned him. It is time they met again.

These characters have stayed in my mind over a week as I worked on my review. So many books fade away quickly. This family has become part of my own world, as if I knew them somewhere along the way. And that is about the best thing anyone can say about a book.

I received a free e-book from the publisher through NetGalley for a fair and unbiased review..

A children’s crusade tugs at the heartstrings of those who are witness to it. Youngsters desperately attempting to change or make claim to something bigger than themselves --- something they feel the need to have in their lives to make them better, complete, important --- have spent thousands of years trying to exact change in a world not of their own making. The children in THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE, the latest novel from the author of the highly moving THE DIVE FROM CLAUSEN’S PIER, spend most of their lives trying to make a change in their own lives through their personal “crusade,” a situation that will do nothing more than bring their mother back to them --- which they all feel would make their own lives as complete as they could become.

When Bill Blair bought land in 1954, in the Northern California utopia that would eventually become Silicon Valley outside of San Francisco, he had plans. He intended to invest in this land with a life well-lived --- as a doctor, with a loving and faithful wife by his side, and his offspring running in the placid natural haven he would create. When he met the shy Penny Greenway, he thought he had found the perfect partner for this adventure towards domestic bliss. But, as the years passed by, and the demands of work and parenting wore the couple down, Penny’s artistic dreams became more important than Bill’s domestic ones, and her children began a “crusade” to bring her back into their fold, where they felt she rightfully belonged.

THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE takes a particularly novel approach to the idea of tired women who wish to throw aside the strictures of domestic drudgery and child rearing in order to realize their own dreams and find fulfillment well outside of their home. Penny’s journey speaks to the burgeoning women’s movement and the feminist ideals that started to become part of the national conversation as her large brood was growing up. When she has a fourth and unplanned child, all hell breaks loose (at least in her mind), and she sets into action a furtive and fertile trajectory of life choices that continue to enslave her children to her as she is and as they wish her to be, even when they are old enough to have their own homes and kids. Baby James, the unplanned, manages to bypass the daily domestic security that his siblings engage in and thus is the straw that stirs the drink of dissatisfaction in all of them, even as they attempt to musketeer it out. They stay loyal to each other against all odds and try desperately to bring their mother back into the fold in one way or another.

The novel tells the story from the perspective of the children and Bill, as opposed to letting Penny have the floor and reveal her own story. It is an effective narrative decision, but ultimately keeps us from feeling as if we know enough about Penny not to blame her for James’ lack of direction in his adult life. As the siblings tell their version of the story, there is always the underlying sense that Penny is to blame, no matter how hard they try not to do so. I would have liked to have heard Ann Packer, who beautifully portrays each of the children in his or her own glorious individuality, give voice to Penny after all is said and done. But this is a small wish given the glorious scope and lovely honed writing in this compelling story.

Coming from a large family myself, I was fascinated by the family dynamics of the Blairs. However, you need only be a lover of insightful and emotional writing to enjoy the talent that put together THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE. Packer's latest novel is a very American and human portrayal of a family as it grows long past cute, aging together in a modern and changing world.

Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

3.5 stars if I could .

We all have our family history and maybe secrets or resentments or loving moments that shape who we are as adults . Ann Packer's family saga introduces us to the Blair family - Bill and Penny and their four children . The book is structured with narratives in third person telling of their childhood days and these are interspersed with narratives from the points of view of all of the children as adults . This alternating between past and present gives us an idea of the things that are now affecting them as adults.

From the beginning something seemed missing from the relationship when Bill and Penny marry - is it passion or love or a lack of understanding of who they were ? It seemed like they married only to marry and before we know it they have four children, the last of whom wasn't planned .

It doesn't take long to realize there are problems in this marriage . That is evident from the early chapters. There was also something missing from Penny's distant relationship with her children. Even as children they know something is not right and it was so telling that the children decide they need to go on a crusade " to think of things that Mom will want to do with us ."

As adults they definitely recognize that their mother was less than "warm and watchful," yet their father was loving and caring . It was understandable that Penny was overwhelmed as a stay at home Mom and wanted something more in her life , her art . I may have found her a little more likable had there been a few tender moments with her children and that she sought her dreams at the expense of her children, especially the youngest , Jamie .

The characters , other than Penny , are developed to the extent that I felt I knew this family and for me the impact was on how these siblings cared about each other. It was easy to like them and care about them . I finished the book with ambivalent feelings about both Bill and Penny . However , it's solid story , well written and thoughtful with a satisfying ending with possibilities for healing .
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for this ARC.

It took me weeks to slog through this 400+-page depressing family saga that details the childhood dramas and traumas that lead to lifelong dysfunction. Thanks a lot, Ann Packer.

The Children’s Crusade is about a family of six, the Blairs:

-- Dad, Bill, is a pediatrician. He is stable and hard-working and lives for his kids.
-- Mom, Penny, is an artistic and volatile housewife. She always wanted three kids . . . and when she ends up with four, she decides it’s too much to handle.
-- Robert, the responsible eldest, is prone to psycho-somatic stomach troubles and stress. Like his dad, he becomes a doctor.
-- Rebecca, the sensible, straight-laced, smart only daughter, takes after her father and also becomes a doctor (psychiatrist). As a child and an adult, she feels the burden to mother her brothers when their real mother is absent (which is often).
-- Ryan, the sensitive, nurturing, and loving child grows into a sensitive, nurturing, and loving adult.
-- James, the youngest. He is the wild one, who can’t sit still as a kid and can’t settle down as an adult.

The book employs both split chronologies and split narratives. By chapter, it alternates between: 1) a third-person account of a singular day/event in the past (for example, the day of a big party the parents throw at the house . . . and all of the preparations and drama leading up to the party) and 2) a first-person narratives by one of the children recounting present-day circumstances.

The purpose of this structure, of course, is to highlight how childhood affects adulthood and how our familial relationships and behaviors are established in our early years (and fail to change or grow or evolve as we get older).

Generally speaking, I like Packer’s work (like The Dive From Clausen’s Pier). It is usually well written, easy to read, and smart. This one, unfortunately, just didn’t capture my interest. The first and last chapters of the book are the highlights . . . but the nearly 400 pages in between are clunky and slow.

The first chapter is fast-paced and sets up the marital dynamic effectively and succinctly. You meet Bill and Penny, you learn about their backgrounds, you witness their courtship, you are introduced to the land that their family will grow up on, you are privy to their decision (such as it is) to start a family. And then, just as all of this is coming together happily, you are given a glimpse of the familial discord to come (“The land he’d bought all that time ago had lost something. It no longer seemed quite so splendid, and he knew the change had come about when he started bringing her with him to see it. This was not knowledge he could accept, and to make it go away he kissed her.”).

The last chapter wraps things up nicely—not with a pretty little bow, but in a way that is hopeful and redemptive (which, after pages and pages of drudgery relaying how lasting and damaging childhood experiences can be, is a welcome change).

Everything in the middle? Heavy, slow, and boring. The characters (despite the fact that you get to know them over decades) are underdeveloped and one-note. They fall too simply into pigeonholes that seem contrived and too convenient. The structure (with its split chronologies and split narratives) comes off as gimmicky and disjointed. The book would have been smoother and more effective if it had been structured more chronologically (with a first part set in the past and a second part set in present day). And the overall message is a bit too heavy-handed and obvious.

Spanning more than fifty years, The Children's Crusade: A Novel is the story of a family.

It began with Bill Blair and his dreams for the land he bought in Portola Valley, in 1954. He met a woman named Penny. They married, and together they produced four children and built up their home. He became a pediatrician and his work became primary for him.

The dynamics of the family begin to show on one day when the four children were young; we witness Penny unraveling as she prepares for a party. There is nothing happy about Penny, and the sense of doom that hovers for the next few years will tell us more about her. She complains constantly about Bill not being there to "help."

Meanwhile, the children are already assuming their roles, with Robert, as the eldest, and the one who sees himself as the leader. Rebecca, a little younger, is very maternal with the younger siblings, Ryan and James. At age three, we can already sense that James is out of control, and that his mother is constantly frustrated with him.

Fast forward over the years: in adulthood, Robert and Rebecca are both doctors, but Rebecca's choice to become a psychiatrist is her way of extending the role she assumed in the family. Ryan is a teacher and very artistic. And James seems to be a lost soul.

Forward and backward we go, filling in the blanks of what led them all to the people they became. The troubles, the rivalries, and how Penny distanced herself from the family early on to pursue her "art." Bill reveals his role as the nurturing parent and counsels the children through some of their troubles.

Individual chapters are devoted to each one's perspective, and as we see each character from all sides, we come to understand them a lot more.

What events will thoroughly test the family bonds? How will the siblings solve some of their most crucial issues? How will the house become the centerpiece for their bonds, and what will ultimately happen to it? How will James's visit with his mother in Taos, NM, relieve him of an old grievance?

The "crusade" that the children dreamed up to help their mother connect to them was never carried out, but it seemed like a recurring theme, in that later on, they all mentioned how their father had a crusade of his own. Children were his life: his own children, and those he helped heal as a doctor.

The writing style was interesting, in that we got to see them all as children...and then grown, and saw how they resolved some of their issues. Sometimes I got a little bogged down, but I enjoyed it overall. Recommended for those who enjoy family sagas, and don't mind family dysfunction. 4.0 stars.

The Dive from Clausen's Pier is one of my favorite books of all time. I'm an avid reader, averaging 60+ books a year, and Dive is one I've not only returned to several times, I've given it often as a gift. But, like all the other subsequent Ann Packer books, The Children's Crusade falls regrettably short of the brilliance, depth, character development, and engaging story that made Dive an instant classic. I had high hopes for Crusade, with it's saga of a family ranging over many years. Sadly, it was a huge disappointment.
The characters were broadly drawn, almost like caricatures of real people: the sanctimonious, saintly dad from whom never was heard a discouraging word; the selfish to the bone mother, with no real reason why she turned so thoroughly away from her family and toward her own pursuits; the kind but troubled eldest son; the smarty pants daughter; the sweet and sensitive second son; the completely unlikeable and solidly unpleasant youngest son. From the moment each character was introduced, nothing about them changed - they just got older. So the predictability was high and never failed to deliver just what you thought it would. Peripheral characters were introduced and then abandoned with no explanation. Motives went unexamined. Consequences were few. There was no way to connect with any of the characters, whether you liked them or not. They lay flat on the pages, despite calling each other "Honey" or making absurd statements like "I could smell his erection." What does that even mean??
The writing was very good. Packer knows how to put sentences and paragraphs together tastefully, and her descriptions of place are evocative. But this book has nothing meaningful to say about human nature, modern families, career paths, childhood moving into adulthood. "Everywhere you go, there you are" could be the subtitle of this book, as no character had any arc. Unfortunately, I think Ann Packer had one profound book in her. She has rested on those laurels too long. I keep hoping she will astound us again, will thrill and delight. But I'm beginning to think that isn't going to happen. And - why in the world was it titled The Children's Crusade? The "crusade" itself was a short-lived (one afternoon) experiment that led nowhere. Something went way wrong between the writer, her early readers,the editor, and the publisher. I wish I could give it more than two and a half stars.

Two things frustrated me about this book.
1. Penny's real motivations and thoughts are never explored. We see her pulling away from the family but never quite understand why. What changed from the days of her early courtship with Bill to make her basically abandon her parenting responsibilities? This leaves the reader with the impression that Penny is just a selfish woman who only cares about herself and makes her totally unlikeable. Maybe that is what the author wanted, but I think readers would appreciate it if the character was more nuanced.
2. Bill is apparently supposed to be the heroic, saintly dad. He does have a great rapport with his kids and is very loving, but I have some real problems with his parenting style. SO Permissive. He never took James in hand in any way, never dealt with his violence and anger and instead just let him bully the rest of the family. He doesn't seem to have any problem with teen James attending a party with drugs and alcohol, as well as staying out way past his curfew (although I can't imagine Bill enforced any curfew). I especially can't believe the way he accepted Ryan and Sierra's relationship. Who lets their 13 year old make out in the house in front of the family? And then lets them sleep together in the house when they are 16? With a younger child in the house who is seeing all this play out in front of him?

In my opinion, Bill is just as bad of a parent to James as Penny is, and it's no wonder James turned out to be the lost soul that he did.

The Children’s Crusade: A Novel, Ann Packer, narrated by Cotter Smith with Santino Fontana, Marin Ireland, Thomas Sadoski, and Frederick Weller.

Over a period of about five decades, the reader is taken into the lives of the Blair family. Dr. Bill Blair returned from the Korean War wanting to forget it. He had had enough of the war and taking care of the wounded and dying and decided to take a residency in Pediatrics so he could treat children, children who would cheer him up. Shortly after his return he met and fell in love with Penny. She believed she had met her Prince Charming, and they married dreaming of a perfect life together. Both of them brought the experiences of their own childhoods and their family interactions into the marriage with them. Those experiences will affect their relationship and the personalities of their children as they march into their future.

The author carefully explored all of the character’s minds as they morphed into adults, each unique, in his or her own way. Their likes and dislikes, successes and failures, feelings of jealousy and moments of extreme tolerance and kindness, shaped their personalities. Different events, over the years, bombarded them and changed them. Although they were not aware of the particular effect of many of the minor and major moments in their lives, the reader is given that insight and learns how those moments made them behave as they matured. The reader learned how their choices were affected by their experiences and interactions with friends and enemies, bullies and family, teachers and classmates, although the characters often remained unaware of the same insights.
The family consisted of Bill and Penny, their three sons and one daughter. Robert is the oldest, then comes Rebecca two years later, and Ryan two years after that. Unexpectedly, three years later, James is born. The lack of an “R” name will affect his feelings of self worth as he grows up. Having the fourth child was overwhelming for Penny and since Bill had become completely devoted to his clinic, she began to feel neglected and unfulfilled. When she was on, she was a wonderful mother, but when she was not, she was absent from their lives. It was an absence that the children, wiser than their years, felt deeply. They knew that there was trouble in their home. They conceived of the idea to have a crusade to unite all of them as a family, once again. As the book proceeds, the reader will notice that each one of the characters conducts their own sort of crusade. For Bill, it was to become a Pediatrician, marry, build a home and raise a family. That home and its influence on all of them becomes a central character of the book. For Penny, it was to become an artist and an independent woman, an early visionary of the women’s liberation movement that worked for greater freedom, the kind of freedom that the Woodstock of the 60’s inspired.

As each child developed, the reader could see that each one incorporated some personality traits from each parent into their lives, in some cases, more from one than another. Rebecca was very literal, very structured like her dad. She became a psychiatrist. Ryan was kind and gentle like his father was, showing compassion most of the time. He was a peacemaker who found little fault with anyone or anything. He was the optimist, always making lemonade out of lemons and accepting himself as he was. James was much like his mother but was unaware of the similarity. He was the eternal pessimist and couldn’t seem to find satisfaction in his life. He couldn’t settle on one thing and stick to it or hold a job for very long, until well into his thirties. The family always had to bail him out, one way or another. Robert was studious, and like his father, a doctor, but he went through a phase of dissatisfaction with his life, much like his mother.

Before long, the reader becomes well acquainted with all of the characters and can almost anticipate and understand the reasons for their behavior as they mature. In a way, like Rebecca, the reader becomes an analyst, witnessing the interactions of the characters with members of the family, members of the community, classmates and mentors. The reader soon is able to define each one of them distinctively because of their conduct. Sometimes, while reading, it got tedious as the day to day life was illustrated with so many mundane descriptions, but soon, the reader discovered why those details were included. As the book progresses, the influence of those mundane moments on their lives is revealed. For instance, when all of the children are looking for a spare key in a certain place and discover it missing, but also discover three “R” initials carved into the foundation, they are flummoxed, but the reader will learn why the key was missing and will know why the “R”s are present as each character tells their story, even when the character remains ignorant.

The reader bears witness to the deterioration of a marriage; a relationship that was once beautiful changes into one consisting merely of accommodation without much outward or inward expression of feeling. This dysfunctional relationship influences the choices the children select for themselves, depending on which parent they most identify with or reject. The reader watches as they grow up and morph into larger versions of the child they once were, with similar personality traits of their youth. The care giving son remains kind, the recalcitrant child who was the catalyst for most crises remains demanding and unsatisfied as an adult. The introspective child analyzes all things in her maturity, too, and the child who felt too much responsibility sometimes folds under it as an adult, expressing the same anger he had as a child.

Through friendships and love affairs, career choices and the births of children, through illnesses and deaths, the reader follows the Blair family and their home until fifty years later, their lives change unalterably, as does their home. Each becomes independent as they learn to respect each other’s particular choices, although they might differ from their own. They are all products of their history and the memories that are contained in their family home.

The story opens with the promise of young love. Penny and Bill begin their lives together. He’s a doctor, she’s an artist and the home they buy holds the promise of happiness to come. They have four children, Rebecca, Robert, Ryan and James. All should be golden but that last child is not like the other children and his behavior and presence is a constant reminder that you cannot control everything and for Penny, this proves to be too much. She moves out of the house and into a shed in the backyard. The shed, her “studio” becomes a home for her, a home away from her children and her husband and her responsibility as a mother.

What makes this story so unsettling is how they all react to it. Bill seems to know exactly what is going on but is in denial. The children, old enough to know that things are not right, talk about a crusade to bring her back. But how do you bring back a woman who wants nothing to do with who she is?

I had a really hard time with this one. Mostly, the subject matter is what did me in because the writing itself was really quite good. Penny, is a hard one to understand and Bill, oh man, I was so frustrated with Bill. As large families tend to do, they do come together in times of crisis but everyone seems to dance around James and all of his problems. As a reader, I didn’t feel as if we spent enough time with the children as children. They grow into adults quite quickly and so I was left with a sense of longing… lost childhood and all that. Penny was so elusive and odd and although I did manage to see another side to her towards the end, I felt that it came too late.

I didn’t love this story but this isn’t the kind of story anyone loves. It’s frightening to see a family in this light and Packer does an excellent job of throwing it all under the microscope. No one in this novel stands out as a hero. Everyone is flawed and unflattering in some way. It’s a book full of faults and if Packer intended for it to be that, then she succeeded in a spectacular fashion. How do the events of our childhood shape who we are today? Lots to consider while reading this one.

Overall, I didn’t care for the story or the characters in it but there’s something there that deserves to be pondered a bit more.

Ann Packer takes a reflective approach in her latest family-centered novel, "The Children’s Crusade." It’s the tale of a California family that wants nothing more than to be a “family,” yet no one knows what “family” means or how to mend five decades of festering wounds.

In 1954, Bill Blair comes across three acres south of San Francisco. He has a vision of happy children playing among the towering trees. He soon marries Penny and begins his pediatric practice. Within 10 years, they have four children, three with R names (Robert, Rebecca and Ryan) and one a J (James). With each passing year, Penny grows more disconnected from her family, focusing on her dream to become an artist. She even goes so far as to move into a renovated shed/studio on the property, popping in on her family for meals and hurtful demands. In the meantime, Bill tries to keep the family waters calm, but often at the expense of his children.

Three years after Bill dies and Penny has packed off “to find herself” in Taos, N.M., the four grown children must deal with the last physical piece of their past. Should they sell the family home? It can be done only if all agree, and that includes their emotionally and physically distant mother.
Packer lets each adult child speak, telling their story in their own way. It’s interesting to see how each remembers childhood, what pained and pleasured them the most. The three oldest at least have some fond memories of their mentally absent mom, but James has none since his very presence seemed to push Penny away. They now must find a way to put the past behind, but can they?

Even as adults, is our childhood far from the surface? Studies have shown that when we come together with relatives, we bring those earlier memories with us and often resort back, at least in some degree, to our younger selves. "The Children’s Crusade," although fiction, is a detailed, fascinating illustration of that concept.

Packer has an eye for fine detail, bringing each of the main characters into sharp focus. All except Penny, who she leaves as a mystery just as she was to her family. The author shows how unhappiness and happiness, selfishness and kindness, leave their indelible mark in unique patterns.
With her latest work, Packer, an award-winning author and essayist, has moved into my “top 10” list of favorite writers. Next on my to-read list is her 2002 acclaimed novel, "The Dive from Clausen’s Pier."

ARC provided by Netgalley

Ann Packer takes a reflective approach in her latest family-centered novel, "The Children’s Crusade." It’s the tale of a California family that wants nothing more than to be a “family,” yet no one knows what “family” means or how to mend five decades of festering wounds.

In 1954, Bill Blair comes across three acres south of San Francisco. He has a vision of happy children playing among the towering trees. He soon marries Penny and begins his pediatric practice. Within 10 years, they have four children, three with R names (Robert, Rebecca and Ryan) and one a J (James). With each passing year, Penny grows more disconnected from her family, focusing on her dream to become an artist. She even goes so far as to move into a renovated shed/studio on the property, popping in on her family for meals and hurtful demands. In the meantime, Bill tries to keep the family waters calm, but often at the expense of his children.

Three years after Bill dies and Penny has packed off “to find herself” in Taos, N.M., the four grown children must deal with the last physical piece of their past. Should they sell the family home? It can be done only if all agree, and that includes their emotionally and physically distant mother.
Packer lets each adult child speak, telling their story in their own way. It’s interesting to see how each remembers childhood, what pained and pleasured them the most. The three oldest at least have some fond memories of their mentally absent mom, but James has none since his very presence seemed to push Penny away. They now must find a way to put the past behind, but can they?

Even as adults, is our childhood far from the surface? Studies have shown that when we come together with relatives, we bring those earlier memories with us and often resort back, at least in some degree, to our younger selves. "The Children’s Crusade," although fiction, is a detailed, fascinating illustration of that concept.

Packer has an eye for fine detail, bringing each of the main characters into sharp focus. All except Penny, who she leaves as a mystery just as she was to her family. The author shows how unhappiness and happiness, selfishness and kindness, leave their indelible mark in unique patterns.
With her latest work, Packer, an award-winning author and essayist, has moved into my “top 10” list of favorite writers. Next on my to-read list is her 2002 acclaimed novel, "The Dive from Clausen’s Pier."

ARC provided by Netgalley

Birdseye view into how families are formed and the seemingly endless differences between members living in close proximity raised by the same parents though in the case of The Children’s Crusade, the only consistent parent to all four Blair children is Bill, a kindhearted Pediatrician who seems to be intuitively keen to the needs of each of his children. Penny is an emotionally absent and reluctant mother, responding favorably only to certain children, if she chooses to respond at all.

The vast differences into the parenting styles of Bill and Penny are fascinating though there was not enough background as to how these two got together in the first place, why they were so ill suited to one another and what their early views on family planning were. I do wish there was more back story and character sketching for the parents.

We do know that the fourth child James was an accident and most definitely not wanted by Penny. James was for her, the straw that broke the camel’s back and his being a little hellion didn’t help. As Penny makes her distaste for James known and begins her retreat from her family, Bill tries hard to fill the gap left by her and become both parents for his children.

Each child’s birthplace vies with their individual personality traits to shape them into who they eventually become. The children’s modern day story finds them facing the dilemma of what to do with the family home which they all inherited.
Though this is a well told story, there are no real surprises or insights save for the possibility of making one feel not so alone in recalling their own childhood.

The Children's Crusade is a character driven novel that follows the Blair family for a period of about 50 years.

Bill Blair was a young man without a wife or kids, who had a dream for the future. He buys a remote piece of land in what would later be known as the Silicon Valley area of California.

Fast forward and Bill, a pediatrician, along with his wife Penny would have four children. Three of the Blair children would become successful. Robert, an internist, Rebecca a psychiatrist for terminally ill children and their families, Ryan, a teacher, and their 4th, youngest and unplanned child, James, would become what some might call the wild child or the bad seed. Troubled from childhood, he would later drop out of college, become estranged from his family. In his late 30's he works at Costco. Can James totally be responsible for the way his life turned out, or should his neglectful mother shoulder some of that blame?

Penny, was never totally happy with her role as wife and mother. Finding out about her 4th pregnancy, with James, nearly sent her over the edge. More artsy than domestic, bit by bit Penny removes herself from the family unit as wife and mother in pursuit of her own interests, despite her children trying their hardest to please her and draw her back in. Their attempts seemed to have the reverse effect.

The story of the Blair family dynamics is told in alternating chapters from the past and then the present, nearly 4 years after Bill's death, when James resurfaces after not even attending his father's funeral. James has a personal agenda item to present to the others upon his return.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel. Many readers will find at least several of the characters unlikeable, but each holds a mighty branch on the Blair family tree. In some ways, I felt like I could sympathise with even the unlikeable characters. Although the story seemed to move very slow at times, I do think that the author did a great job creating some very different personalities within the family unit. Each person's story and their issues felt compelling and realistic. In the end it's all about making peace with the past, even though the anger an unhappiness never fully disappears.

Readers who enjoy stories about dysfunctional families, family sagas, and stories told from multiple POVs should try this one.

I am a fan of Ann Packer and was anxious to read this book. It took me quite a while to get into the flow of the book, it was about 1/2 of the way in before all of the characters were introduced and I was able to enjoy the reading.

The story centers around a family, mother, dad and four siblings. But really everything revolves around the choices that the mother, Penny, has made. Penny was an artist and put that all aside to have a family but when the unexpected child, the 4th arrives, it’s too much for her. She turns away from her children, her husband and married life in general and gets involved in her art. Normally I would think that trying to develop your own life and your art were admirable traits but she’s unable to balance her life. She neglects her children terribly when they are still young and need her support.

Luckily for the children their father, Bill, a pediatrician is a very nurturing person and helps to compensate for the mother’s absence. It is good to note that the story begins and ends with the land that Bill purchases after the war and his vision for it to become a homeland.

The Children’s Crusade is basically about the four children trying desperately to get their mother involved in their lives. The chapters alternate between the POV of each of the children. The characters of the siblings are very well drawn and they are all different and interesting. Unfortunately the character I was most interested in, Penny, is the least explored and the most complicated.

Having four children myself it was distressing to read about the degree to which childhood influenced the adults they would become. The book is a well written portrayal of family life in California at the end of the 20th century. I loved the father’s quote “children deserve care” because that really sums up a lot of what is missing in the lives of these four siblings.

This would make a great book club book with lots to discuss. I think that this book is a transition from Dive From Clausen’s Pier with Ms. Packer’s writing showing a lot of growth and strength. I enjoyed it.

I am a fan of Ann Packer and was anxious to read this book. It took me quite a while to get into the flow of the book, it was about 1/2 of the way in before all of the characters were introduced and I was able to enjoy the reading.

The story centers around a family, mother, dad and four siblings. But really everything revolves around the choices that the mother, Penny, has made. Penny was an artist and put that all aside to have a family but when the unexpected child, the 4th arrives, it’s too much for her. She turns away from her children, her husband and married life in general and gets involved in her art. Normally I would think that trying to develop your own life and your art were admirable traits but she’s unable to balance her life. She neglects her children terribly when they are still young and need her support.

Luckily for the children their father, Bill, a pediatrician is a very nurturing person and helps to compensate for the mother’s absence. It is good to note that the story begins and ends with the land that Bill purchases after the war and his vision for it to become a homeland.

The Children’s Crusade is basically about the four children trying desperately to get their mother involved in their lives. The chapters alternate between the POV of each of the children. The characters of the siblings are very well drawn and they are all different and interesting. Unfortunately the character I was most interested in, Penny, is the least explored and the most complicated.

Having four children myself it was distressing to read about the degree to which childhood influenced the adults they would become. The book is a well written portrayal of family life in California at the end of the 20th century. I loved the father’s quote “children deserve care” because that really sums up a lot of what is missing in the lives of these four siblings.

This would make a great book club book with lots to discuss. I think that this book is a transition from Dive From Clausen’s Pier with Ms. Packer’s writing showing a lot of growth and strength. I enjoyed it.

After consuming The Dive From Clausen's Pier, I couldn't wait to dive into another Ann Packer novel. In "The Children's Crusade" we see the same extraordinary scene setting, attention to detail and realistic dialogue. This novel was set in and around Portola Valley and Palo Alto in Northern California, right in my backyard, and Packer did a good job of getting the period details right - from the 60's when the family was growing up in their woodsy home in Portola Valley, until the early 1990's when they finally sold the family home after their father's death.

In one very compact introductory chapter, we meet Bill Blair, recently returned from serving as a doctor during the Korean War and his new bride Penny Greenway, during their brief courtship. In the next chapter, we zoom ahead to the preparations for an annual cocktail party at their home in Portola Valley. They now have 4 kids, who mainly look after each other and try to avoid their mother's volatile temper. We quickly learn of the family dynamics between mother and children, father and children, and each of the kids' relationships with each other. Then in alternate chapters, we learn first person about each of the 4 kids - Robert, Rebecca, Ryan and James. It is clear from the outset that James was unplanned and unwanted by Penny, and Bill as well as the other kids try to compensate for his rejection by his mother. They are trying to raise him in spite of his maternal rejection.

Even while her children are still very young, Penny is chafing at her role as a stay-at-home-mother, and feels undervalued and overwhelmed by the daily demands of housework, shopping, meal preparation, laundry, etc. She started to pull away from her kids, and decides to set up her art studio in a shed on the property. The shed was expanded into a studio into which she actually moved, coming up to the house only at meal time. The character we learn the least about is Penny; however the entire plot essentially revolves around her rejection of her husband and children. We never do have a chance to get inside her head and understand why she did this. Bill, a kind and caring pediatrician, tries to fill the gaps left by their missing mother, but he can only do so much.

In spite of their mother's rejection, 3 of the 4 kids turn out just fine, though they each have their issues. James is the lost soul, failing to finish college, moving frequently and existing on low paying jobs and occasional handouts from his siblings. The final chapters revolve around James' chance to finally find a lasting relationship and the kind of stability that his brothers and sister have found. Coming from a large family myself, I understand how differently kids raised in the same household can turn out, and it was interesting to read about the family dynamics in "The Children's Crusade". However, I found the ending disappointing and incomplete. It's as if the author just ran out of steam, and didn't know how to finish this tale...

With all the hype surrounding this book I truly expected something much more than what it was. First of all, the story moves at a snail's pace. It took quite awhile before the plot went anywhere.

The story opens with the promise of young love. Penny and Bill begin their lives together. He’s a doctor, she’s an artist and the home they buy holds the promise of happiness to come. They have four children, Rebecca, Robert, Ryan and James. All should be golden but that last child is not like the other children and his behavior and presence is a constant reminder that you cannot control everything and for Penny, this proves to be too much. She moves out of the house and into a shed in the backyard. The shed, her “studio” becomes a home for her, a home away from her children and her husband and her responsibility as a mother.

What makes this story so unsettling is how all the characters reacted to Penny's strange behavior. I get it that Pennt just feels undervalued and doesn't want the life she is stuck with as a stay at home mother. However, it made me sick to think about how much the kids were affected by her behavior of literally moving out of the house and how confusing it must have been for the children. And how her actions obviously had a lifelong effect on them as adults emotionally and psychologically. I really didn't like how Bill seems to know exactly what is going on but is in denial and doesn't do much to make it better even though his personal motto is " Children deserve care." He seemed to give moe care and attention to his pediatric patients than his own children, even though he tries his best to orient the children on his own. Penny's behavior wasn't fully explained or analyzed which left me wanting to know more about why Penny felt and did what she did. The children, old enough to know that things are not right, talk about a crusade to bring her back. But how do you bring back a woman who wants nothing to do with who she is?

I had a really hard time with this one. Mostly, the subject matter is what did me in because the writing itself was really quite good. Penny, is a hard one to understand and Bill, oh man, I was so frustrated with Bill. As large families tend to do, they do come together in times of crisis but everyone seems to dance around James and all of his problems. James definitely received the brunt of Penny's negativity which affected him from day one and he never felt accepted as who he was and took on the role of the troublemaker that his family dynamics set him up to be as a child and he continues to stay in that role well into adulthood, unable to break free of the role which he was cast in as a child.

As a reader, I didn’t feel as if we spent enough time with the children as children. They grow into adults quite quickly and so I was left with a sense of longing… lost childhood and all that. Penny was so elusive and odd and although I did manage to see another side to her towards the end, I felt that it came too late.

I didn’t love this story but this isn’t the kind of story anyone loves. It is ultimately sad and depressing, every character full of flaws relating back to childhood. It’s frightening to see a family in this light and Packer does an excellent job of throwing it all under the microscope. It’s a book full of faults and if Packer intended for it to be that, then she succeeded in a spectacular fashion. How do the events of our childhood shape who we are today? Lots to consider while reading this one.

Overall, I didn’t care for the story or the characters. It just didn't live up to the hype. I own The Dive From Clausen's Pier so I will give Packer another chance but I hope that it the story is a bit more uplifting than The Children's Crusade. 2 stars.

With all the hype surrounding this book I truly expected something much more than what it was. First of all, the story moves at a snail's pace. It took quite awhile before the plot went anywhere.

The story opens with the promise of young love. Penny and Bill begin their lives together. He’s a doctor, she’s an artist and the home they buy holds the promise of happiness to come. They have four children, Rebecca, Robert, Ryan and James. All should be golden but that last child is not like the other children and his behavior and presence is a constant reminder that you cannot control everything and for Penny, this proves to be too much. She moves out of the house and into a shed in the backyard. The shed, her “studio” becomes a home for her, a home away from her children and her husband and her responsibility as a mother.

What makes this story so unsettling is how all the characters reacted to Penny's strange behavior. I get it that Pennt just feels undervalued and doesn't want the life she is stuck with as a stay at home mother. However, it made me sick to think about how much the kids were affected by her behavior of literally moving out of the house and how confusing it must have been for the children. And how her actions obviously had a lifelong effect on them as adults emotionally and psychologically. I really didn't like how Bill seems to know exactly what is going on but is in denial and doesn't do much to make it better even though his personal motto is " Children deserve care." He seemed to give moe care and attention to his pediatric patients than his own children, even though he tries his best to orient the children on his own. Penny's behavior wasn't fully explained or analyzed which left me wanting to know more about why Penny felt and did what she did. The children, old enough to know that things are not right, talk about a crusade to bring her back. But how do you bring back a woman who wants nothing to do with who she is?

I had a really hard time with this one. Mostly, the subject matter is what did me in because the writing itself was really quite good. Penny, is a hard one to understand and Bill, oh man, I was so frustrated with Bill. As large families tend to do, they do come together in times of crisis but everyone seems to dance around James and all of his problems. James definitely received the brunt of Penny's negativity which affected him from day one and he never felt accepted as who he was and took on the role of the troublemaker that his family dynamics set him up to be as a child and he continues to stay in that role well into adulthood, unable to break free of the role which he was cast in as a child.

As a reader, I didn’t feel as if we spent enough time with the children as children. They grow into adults quite quickly and so I was left with a sense of longing… lost childhood and all that. Penny was so elusive and odd and although I did manage to see another side to her towards the end, I felt that it came too late.

I didn’t love this story but this isn’t the kind of story anyone loves. It is ultimately sad and depressing, every character full of flaws relating back to childhood. It’s frightening to see a family in this light and Packer does an excellent job of throwing it all under the microscope. It’s a book full of faults and if Packer intended for it to be that, then she succeeded in a spectacular fashion. How do the events of our childhood shape who we are today? Lots to consider while reading this one.

Overall, I didn’t care for the story or the characters. It just didn't live up to the hype. I own The Dive From Clausen's Pier so I will give Packer another chance but I hope that it the story is a bit more uplifting than The Children's Crusade. 2 stars.

With all the hype surrounding this book I truly expected something much more than what it was. First of all, the story moves at a snail's pace. It took quite awhile before the plot went anywhere.

The story opens with the promise of young love. Penny and Bill begin their lives together. He’s a doctor, she’s an artist and the home they buy holds the promise of happiness to come. They have four children, Rebecca, Robert, Ryan and James. All should be golden but that last child is not like the other children and his behavior and presence is a constant reminder that you cannot control everything and for Penny, this proves to be too much. She moves out of the house and into a shed in the backyard. The shed, her “studio” becomes a home for her, a home away from her children and her husband and her responsibility as a mother.

What makes this story so unsettling is how all the characters reacted to Penny's strange behavior. I get it that Pennt just feels undervalued and doesn't want the life she is stuck with as a stay at home mother. However, it made me sick to think about how much the kids were affected by her behavior of literally moving out of the house and how confusing it must have been for the children. And how her actions obviously had a lifelong effect on them as adults emotionally and psychologically. I really didn't like how Bill seems to know exactly what is going on but is in denial and doesn't do much to make it better even though his personal motto is " Children deserve care." He seemed to give moe care and attention to his pediatric patients than his own children, even though he tries his best to orient the children on his own. Penny's behavior wasn't fully explained or analyzed which left me wanting to know more about why Penny felt and did what she did. The children, old enough to know that things are not right, talk about a crusade to bring her back. But how do you bring back a woman who wants nothing to do with who she is?

I had a really hard time with this one. Mostly, the subject matter is what did me in because the writing itself was really quite good. Penny, is a hard one to understand and Bill, oh man, I was so frustrated with Bill. As large families tend to do, they do come together in times of crisis but everyone seems to dance around James and all of his problems. James definitely received the brunt of Penny's negativity which affected him from day one and he never felt accepted as who he was and took on the role of the troublemaker that his family dynamics set him up to be as a child and he continues to stay in that role well into adulthood, unable to break free of the role which he was cast in as a child.

As a reader, I didn’t feel as if we spent enough time with the children as children. They grow into adults quite quickly and so I was left with a sense of longing… lost childhood and all that. Penny was so elusive and odd and although I did manage to see another side to her towards the end, I felt that it came too late.

I didn’t love this story but this isn’t the kind of story anyone loves. It is ultimately sad and depressing, every character full of flaws relating back to childhood. It’s frightening to see a family in this light and Packer does an excellent job of throwing it all under the microscope. It’s a book full of faults and if Packer intended for it to be that, then she succeeded in a spectacular fashion. How do the events of our childhood shape who we are today? Lots to consider while reading this one.

Overall, I didn’t care for the story or the characters. It just didn't live up to the hype. I own The Dive From Clausen's Pier so I will give Packer another chance but I hope that it the story is a bit more uplifting than The Children's Crusade. 2 stars.

With all the hype surrounding this book I truly expected something much more than what it was. First of all, the story moves at a snail's pace. It took quite awhile before the plot went anywhere.

The story opens with the promise of young love. Penny and Bill begin their lives together. He’s a doctor, she’s an artist and the home they buy holds the promise of happiness to come. They have four children, Rebecca, Robert, Ryan and James. All should be golden but that last child is not like the other children and his behavior and presence is a constant reminder that you cannot control everything and for Penny, this proves to be too much. She moves out of the house and into a shed in the backyard. The shed, her “studio” becomes a home for her, a home away from her children and her husband and her responsibility as a mother.

What makes this story so unsettling is how all the characters reacted to Penny's strange behavior. I get it that Pennt just feels undervalued and doesn't want the life she is stuck with as a stay at home mother. However, it made me sick to think about how much the kids were affected by her behavior of literally moving out of the house and how confusing it must have been for the children. And how her actions obviously had a lifelong effect on them as adults emotionally and psychologically. I really didn't like how Bill seems to know exactly what is going on but is in denial and doesn't do much to make it better even though his personal motto is " Children deserve care." He seemed to give moe care and attention to his pediatric patients than his own children, even though he tries his best to orient the children on his own. Penny's behavior wasn't fully explained or analyzed which left me wanting to know more about why Penny felt and did what she did. The children, old enough to know that things are not right, talk about a crusade to bring her back. But how do you bring back a woman who wants nothing to do with who she is?

I had a really hard time with this one. Mostly, the subject matter is what did me in because the writing itself was really quite good. Penny, is a hard one to understand and Bill, oh man, I was so frustrated with Bill. As large families tend to do, they do come together in times of crisis but everyone seems to dance around James and all of his problems. James definitely received the brunt of Penny's negativity which affected him from day one and he never felt accepted as who he was and took on the role of the troublemaker that his family dynamics set him up to be as a child and he continues to stay in that role well into adulthood, unable to break free of the role which he was cast in as a child.

As a reader, I didn’t feel as if we spent enough time with the children as children. They grow into adults quite quickly and so I was left with a sense of longing… lost childhood and all that. Penny was so elusive and odd and although I did manage to see another side to her towards the end, I felt that it came too late.

I didn’t love this story but this isn’t the kind of story anyone loves. It is ultimately sad and depressing, every character full of flaws relating back to childhood. It’s frightening to see a family in this light and Packer does an excellent job of throwing it all under the microscope. It’s a book full of faults and if Packer intended for it to be that, then she succeeded in a spectacular fashion. How do the events of our childhood shape who we are today? Lots to consider while reading this one.

Overall, I didn’t care for the story or the characters. It just didn't live up to the hype. I own The Dive From Clausen's Pier so I will give Packer another chance but I hope that it the story is a bit more uplifting than The Children's Crusade. 2 stars.

I was completely absorbed by Ann Packer's new book The Children's Crusade from the beginning. As she has done in her previous books Ms. Packer writes about the complicated psychological dynamics of intimate relationships in a nuanced and engaging style. In the Children's Crusade she writes about the Blair family, Bill and Penny, the parents and their four children. I found myself thinking about the Blair family between readings but even more so after I finished the book.

The Blair family lives what looks like a privileged life in California but underneath there is a lack of warmth and empathy between the couple that foreshadows and impacts every other relationship in the family. Bill, a pediatrician has certain expectations of what a family should be like and what it means to be a good parent and Penny, his wife, does not meet them. Penny wants to be an artist and as she is increasingly
unseen and misunderstood by her husband, Penny becomes increasingly distant and unattached to her family. Her self-absorption impacts all of the children but especially Jaime who is viewed by Penny as a troublemaker and too needy. Jaime becomes as narcissistic as his mother and his hurt and loneliness leads to poor decisions and hurtful behavior.

Given the family dynamic, it is easy to dislike Penny, however this is where Ms Packer's skill as writer come in. While it is clear that each child is damaged by their mother's lack of devotion to them the author allows us to develop some empathy towards her as she craves to

find meaning from her art and support from her husband. Ms Packer allows us to see how complex the mother-son relationship really is and how Jaime becomes a catalyst for change as he finds his own way towards creating a family of choice as an adult. I also thought it was one of the best portrayals of sibling relationships I have read in several years; the siblings relationships are powerful, complicated and full of
love.

The title of this book refers to the children's campaign to get their mother to do things with them that she would like to do, to mother them, to connect to them. She won't and can't and that is the heartbreak of the book. Yet, the author's rendering of this particular family, of this well-meaning and sad family is dynamic and compassionate and I thank Netgalley for allowing me to review it for an honest opinion.

The Children's Crusade traces the repercussions of a neglectful mother -- but never really gets into the head of Penny, the mother. She's made to seem a lunatic for wanting to escape 4 little children by hiding out in a shed and doing art projects. I have 3 kids. It didn't sound so crazy to me.

I'm an author too so noticed something that others might not: many characters use the phrase "a couple (noun)," rather than "a couple OF ... ."
"A couple dogs" is gramatically incorrect, yet everyone makes the same error. For me, it broke the flow.

The book goes back and forth in time, and for the most part this is done smoothly. But a strong relationship -- Ryan and Sierra -- from the past is not wrapped up as time goes on.

In an overall sense, the book just never drew me in. I read a review here that kept me going, and the final section, about the disturbed youngest sibling, is indeed the best part of the book. But I found the painting of the dad as a saint and the mom as an evil, unstable person unsettling.

Leave it to James Blair to be the rebel child.

His older siblings, each with an "R" name - Robert, Rebecca, and Ryan - were planned for and anticipated. When their mother Penny discovers herself pregnant with James, she reacts disconsolately. James was not part of the plan. James was not supposed to exist. When he later asks his father why he didn't receive an "R" name (surely there were some available), Bill replies that he and Penny simply liked the name 'James.'

It is not incorrect to say that James was unwanted. His very name implies a sort of punishment for his existence. Unlike his calmer, more reasoned siblings, James moved through the Blair household like an untamed horse, leaving broken china and anxiety in his wake.

Now, years later, he's returned home. And of course he has a motive, ulterior or not.

The Blair family started off as most families do, with two parents who loved each other - passionately even - and who believed they fulfilled some sort of destiny in meeting, marrying, and having children. Bill, a doctor, survived WWII and met Penny, moving her to a home they had built on land Bill purchased somewhat on a whim years earlier. When they lay the foundation for the shed, Bill prophetically traces three Rs in the cement. On this they will build their lives.

It all goes according to plan until Penny becomes pregnant with James. Ann Packer insightfully takes you into Penny's anxiety and trepidation over this pregnancy, to say nothing of her frustration and regret. She punishes, in a way, all of her children for this pregnancy, retreating into herself and, eventually, into the shed, where she creates space for artwork she plans to create. She develops a sort of nascent career crafting sculptures and canvases of garbage.

This is symbolic.

Meanwhile, she removes herself from the lives of her children and her husband. Bill tries his best to be there for his kids, offering them the emotional support they crave. But Penny is the mother, and as such, her abdication from her role leaves an untenable void.

Packer shows us how Bill and Penny affect their children, undoubtedly filling parents with fears and trepidation over how their actions affect their own children. In Penny, though, Packer has a mother who is just short of reprehensible. Vain, selfish, emotionally (and physically) aloof, Penny leaves considerable damage in her wake, especially where James is concerned.

His return to his siblings forces each of the Blair children to consider his or her purpose. Robert, a doctor like his father, struggles with his bitterness toward James, as well as the role he was forced to play as the eldest Blair child. The only girl, Rebecca, a psychiatrist, can diagnose others but must seek outside help for herself. Sensitive, peacemaking Ryan teaches at the school he attended and appears to be the best adjusted of the siblings, but those appearances certainly can deceive.

Then there is James, who, even in his thirties, struggles to know who he wants to be. He's itinerant, an adult vagabond given to packing up and moving on when the whim hits. He isn't above asking for help, but in exchange he will neither acknowledge nor adhere to anyone's commentary on his decisions. He does not so much seek Penny's approval as utterly disavow it. James ostensibly is the most damaged of the Blair siblings, but, again, appearances deceive.

Ann Packer writes with lyrical eloquence, taking you into the hearts and minds of Bill, Penny, and their children. Penny leaves the canvas for a while when her children reach adulthood, but her influence is always present. She is such a force that her kids decide they must mount a crusade to bring her back into the family.

That titular 'crusade' is but one, though. Each of the Blair children has a crusade of sorts, and each requires healing and absolution. You may not always like this family, but Packer plants you firmly as their advocate.

This is an engrossing, consuming novel that is not always easy to read. These people suffer, often due to their own misguidance. They are fully flawed and fully human, and when the book is over, you will feel a loss.

Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Published on VoxLibris.net
@VoxLibis

The Children’s Crusade goes beyond ratings for me. It is a book we come across so rarely, a book that not only entertains or illuminates human nature but has the power to actually change the way we think about our own lives.
The scenes in this book are told with such tension-filled precision that readers will be on edge from page to page, even as we are reading scenes from the deceptively ordinary business of everyday life. From a group of four young children and their mother getting ready for a party, to the family waiting for a cello recital to begin, or a trip after dinner to get ice cream, Ann Packer shows the haunting nuances that exist beneath the surface of seemingly routine interactions.

Hundreds of novels will be published this year that feature the complicated lives of families. None is likely to be as finely written as Ann Packer’s The Children’s Crusade. Packer presents the Blair family from the 1950s to the present. The father of the family, Bill Blair, is a pediatrician. His wife, Penny, is an artist. Their four children are named Robert, Rebecca, Ryan and James. By the selection of name, you can guess how well James fits in with the others. As in many families, the story revolves around the mother, and Penny is not the storybook Mom of the 1950s. She chooses her art over giving her children what they need. What Packer does so well is create this interesting and complex character in Penny, and fleshes out the impact of Penny’s choices on each member of the family over six decades. Packer’s prose can delight close readers, no matter what the content. The prose here describes the place and time so perfectly that the development of characters in their multiple settings seems to flow with great ease. Packer’s insight into these characters made me love reading this novel. Each unique character, formed by life experience, behaves in ways that are understandable and totally recognizable. Fans who revel in finely written literary fiction are those most likely to enjoy reading this novel.

Rating: Five-star (I love it)

Ann Packer is a talented writer. In this novel of a more than usually dysfunctional family, she manages to get inside the head of each of the children as they grow up and mature. It's a sad family with a mother who just isn't cut out for motherhood. The father tries to make up for it and is fairly successful, but the children's crusade to gain their mother's attention is fruitless. In the end, they find that after all there are many different ways to love and at least one is to love yourself. There are heartbreaking episodes but the children rely on each other and manage even to accept and love the wild one who is always causing some problem. I particularly enjoyed reading about the difficulty each of the children have in trying to decide whether or not to give up their childhood home and the reactions when a decision is finally made. It's a "you can't go home again" situation that we all have to learn and this one is poignant. The various strands are all satisfactorily, although not always predictable, tied up. Not particularly a happy book, but very interesting and revealing about the things that often happen in a family.

The Children’s Crusade is a deeply thoughtful book about a California family struggling to overcome “maternal deprivation”. Author Ann Packer slowly builds up steam in her recent novel, and she brings to life a very real household whose inhabitants could live next door. She begins with patriarch Bill Blair as he ends his Navy service and finds a beautiful piece of undeveloped land on which to build a legacy of home and family. A caring and thoughtful, respected pediatrician, we hear throughout the book Bill’s mantra, “children must be cared for” - a poignant consideration as he progresses through his career, marries and raises four children.

Light in plot, and more of a family journey, Packer leads us through the Blair family beginnings - a happy start in wedlock, then a slow but mighty disaffection of his marriage. With each child, Bill’s wife Penny becomes more distant, frustrated, and finally removes herself from the family in pursuit of a career as an artist. We see each child in a state of anxiety while they feel and react to the calm dissonance of their father and obvious resentment from their mother, all while they try hard to please her.

The novel effectively leads us through events of the children’s progress over the years. Where the book shines though is in the chapters Packer writes in the voice of each of the four children in adulthood. Robert, Rebecca, Ryan and James each have a distinct personality that really brings this story to life. Robert, the oldest, hides an inner conflict, but follows in his father’s footsteps to become a doctor. We find him as a husband and parent himself, finally facing his emotions. Rebecca, a psychiatrist is an interesting character as she examines her own life as well as her siblings’ and parents’ struggles through her professional lens. Ryan, sweet, and a painfully sensitive pleaser, is closest to Penny. James is the youngest, most troubled and erratic, who comes home to California after years of absence. It is James who reignites for them memories of their distant mother, returning raw emotions to the surface.

The Children’s Crusade is an intimate examination of a complicated family. Penny sacrifices her family and we witness the scars they bear. Packer’s characters each seem a bit exaggerated, deep within their own personality traits, yet I enjoyed the book and think it’s worthy of attention.

I enjoyed this book. I was unfamiliar with the author's other books but I enjoyed the family issues presented in this story. I enjoyed the descriptive aspect of living in Portola Valley complete with life under the sprawling and majestic oaks. I am from the Bay Area so I am intimately familiar with the location and attitude's expressed. I did wonder about the description of Penny not being happy as a wife and mother - her disconnect from her children was so complete that it was slightly shocking to me. When the children where adults and she lived in Taos she still could not be bothered to visit her kids or grandkids. She seems extraordinarily self absorbed.

I think that this book would be fantastic for a book club. The depth of conversations that will be provoked by this story will be significant. My only questions about the story were: 1) the Daphne character - what was the real issue? Was it simply the distress of not knowing where she would be living? I was expecting a secondary story to develop for this character and her family; 2) The girlfriend Sierra who went off to become a model - what happened? Did she just disappear from Ryan's life completely? I think this book ended too soon and could have benefited from a deeper examination of what caused Penny to check out.

I have enjoyed Ann Packer's books very much, especially "The Dive from Clausen's Pier" and the short story collection, "Mendocino." This book just didn't live up to those. The chapters from each of the children's individual points of view were especially disappointing. Reading these, I frequently asked, "Why am I being told about this particular event?" They just weren't alive on the page. The chapters devoted to the family as a whole were more sparkling, especially when the children were young. I just didn't think this book had the tension needed to keep my interest for 432 pages. I didn't really care if they sold their childhood home or not. I finished it because the writing was good. But the story itself was not. I grew tired of the characters who remained drearily themselves throughout. The mother was a cliche of the artist who abandons her kids for her work. I was never convinced she really was an artist. She just seemed like a jerk.

The children's crusade by Ann Packer
This book is about a family in the 70's as they grow up. The story goes back in time to when the parents met and got married.
The father is a doctor and the mother takes care of the kids. Events are told also as the children get older. The changes not only in their parents but the grand parents as well.
Remember myself where I was when Jim Jones and the cult was around and how it effected us, interesting to hear what the children thought.
Advances to when the children want to sell the family house and reminisce about the times spent there. Some don't want to sell, others want money so they can move on with their lives.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

This is an absolutely glorious book -- rich, fascinating, human, memorable, wholly compelling. I so love the way this story honors each character, moving so beautifully among points of view, so that the development of a family in Portola Valley, California, from the sixties up into the 2000s, is filled with texture and layers and shifting vision. I think it's so rare to come upon a contemporary book crafted this finely, shaped with such profound, wise insight into its characters that a reader carries this house, this family, this changing landscape, inside forever after. The acute observations of the inner and outer life of each character make this fictional world incredibly real and tangible. I have rarely been this moved by a novel, and I urge any lover of superb fiction to read this book.

I love how this book is written in the voice of each character. It's an in depth look at the inter workings of a family. The good, the bad, the ugly, the subtle, the sweet, and the sad moments of life.

I found myself identifying with several characters, angry at others, puzzled by some. No family is perfect. This story dives into that in great detail.

I was having a book club discussion about the book as I read it! Highly recommend.

For me, this was a compelling tale of a family from start to finish...functional at times, dysfunctional more often. You will empathize with some of the family, and dislike others. The writing was poetic and touching, which is what I really loved about the book. I could identify with one of the parents in this story; I'm sure my children could identify with one or more of the kids in this tale. Can't say more about it...good night time reading, and I look forward to more of Ann Packer's books.

The book is well written, but depressing. I appreciated it for what it is, but did not enjoy it. The main lesson learned is DON'T GET MARRIED IF YOU'RE TOO SELF CENTERED. The self absorbed mother, Penny, should never have had children and probably should have stayed single to pursue her artsy-fartsy dreams. Her coldness and selfishness affected all four children and her husband in a negative way. The kindly doctor and the offspring would have been better off owning a smaller house/property growing up with the money being better spent on nannies and housekeepers.

I really enjoyed Ann Packer's other books. This one was well written ... but the characters are the most self involved, naval gazing family around. Me, me and of course there is always ME ... for all of these characters.
They are so firmly cemented in their family roles that no one has truly drawn a free breath of air at any time. Daddy is of course perfect ... Mom is the villain and the children jealously guard their assigned sibling roles. There was not one of them I would even want to share an elevator ride with yet here I am slogging through this thing with no hope in sight. Such a sad group but I am hoping for some type of resolution ... how many more hours I am willing to give this book?

Packer's novel delves into the lives of the Blair siblings, Robert, Rebecca, Ryan and James (who uses his non "R" name as a crutch, knowing he didn't belong from the very beginning, and continually living up to his own low expectations). And while the characters are beautifully realized, and the alternating points of view gave me great insight into the adults they have become, I kept waiting for the story to take me on a journey a little less pre-determined. I finished the book feeling neither satisfied nor eager to read Ms. Packer again anytime soon.

The lead editorial review on the the store page makes it sound like this book is a book of the year type. Nope. It's good though, just not that good. Otherwise I have no criticisms. I enjoyed the family dynamics, the various points of view of the children as they responded to distancing of their mother. . I liked the emphasis on the whole family as they grew up and left their idyllic like California home. It was a good book. If you loved Anne Tyler or the domestic, family relationship parts of Jonathan Franzen's Freedom, I think you will like this.

In rich and evocative language, Packer tells the story of an ordinary family over the course of five decades, in a true and moving exploration of the complicated thing that is even the most ordinary family. I was particularly moved by the path Penny, the mother of the Blair clan, takes as she tried to find her own way in a world that expects little of her other than motherhood.

This is a wonderful family saga with looks at relationships between husband and wife, parent and child and brothers and their sister. Starting in the early 50's , and continuing into the present we follow the Bill and Penny Blair and their 4 children. When Penny eventually leaves to become an artist the children are shaped by her abandonment. A fantastic read with a California setting including The Barn, an early commune. Pick this one when you have some extra time, you won't want to lay it down.

I think women will like this book. It was interesting and I love the inner relations of the family. I thought the father was a great dad but not a great husband. I don't think the mother was good in any way. She was limited. The youngest child had something going on no one mentioned which I found odd. Perhaps ADD or something. The children took on parent like roles for the youngest child which was selfless and hard to believe. Again, this was an interesting book. Everyone has a story and issues to deal with and overcome.

“Children deserve care.” It’s the maxim of Bill Blair, pediatrician, husband and father of four, who raises his family in Portola Valley, California. Bill adheres to this maxim in his professional and personal life, despite his marriage to an indifferent, selfish and apathetic woman. The result is a mixed bag of adult children whose emotional baggage plays out throughout the novel.

All but one of the characters are developed in individual chapters devoted to their childhood and adult lives. The exception is Penny, the aforementioned wife and mother, who appears to be emotionally detached from her family and inwardly focused on her own needs. Thus, the “crusade” that her children embark on to re-engage her interest in spending time with the family.

I found the book alternately intriguing and tedious. The chapters were far too long to sustain interest, in my opinion. The characters were believable, and the author did an admirable job of tying their adult selves into their childhood experiences. However, there were still a number of unanswered questions due to experiences or character traits that were raised at one point with no answer or follow through by the end of the book. Penny’s inconsistent behavior disappointingly remained a total mystery from beginning to end. Most of the time, she’s appears disengaged from the family, but there are rare glimpses of maternal concern or involvement that let us know she does have the capacity to be, at least partially, functional as a mother.

The Dive from Clausen’s Pier has long been a favorite of mine, but this one did not quite hit that mark. Despite that, if you enjoy novels about dysfunctional families, you are likely to enjoy this one.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the ARC of this book received in exchange for my review.

The Children’s Crusade by Ann Packer is a family drama spanning from 1950 to present day. Bill Blair is a pediatrician and veteran of war. Bill meets Penny and they marry. Penny has dreams of her family, 3 children would be perfect. The first child born is Robert than Rebecca and Ryan, the three R’s, perfect. Later James is born and Penny is unhappy about this, three children was the plan. James is a rambunctious little boy and just too much for Penny. She withdraws from parenting him and the other children and Bill and the older children really parent James. This really shows the impact that childhood experiences can have on someone into adulthood. James always feels like the odd man out, not an “R” name.

Children’s Crusade is really a coming of age story of a family. A real family drama with complicated relationships. There is a strong character story of each individual. You really feel like you understand the characters, except for Penny. Penny is very self-centered and removed from her family physically and emotionally. I would have like to know more about her thought process regarding her decisions. With Penny being the exception I felt like I knew the characters equally, but didn’t like them equally.

The audio book of Children’s Crusade was performed by a cast of narrators, which allowed for great distinction between the characters. I really felt the different voices fit the characters well and were easily distinguishable. The pace of the narration went well this the story and plot. Listening to Children’s Crusade did not have a huge impact on me…I wasn’t driving around the block to listen to more. This had more to do with the actual story than the narration.

My Rating: 3/5 – liked it- Children’s Crusade had me wishing for more throughout the book. When was something of significance going to happen?? I struggle with stories that don’t have a real pivotal point in the story. The family overall, left me wondering how Bill could let this situation continue. He often said “children need care”, but that was something his children were missing, at least from their mother. This had a lasting effect on the children, especially James. Good reminder that our actions as parents stay with our children much longer than we think.

Children’s Crusade is really a character study of the Blair family. Children’s Crusade is a family drama which touches on the themes such as healing, hope, innocence and forgiveness. In all honestly, if this wasn’t a review book, I would have most likely not finished the book.

The other item that was difficult for me was the ending of Children’s Crusade by Ann Packer, I was very disappointed in the ending. It didn’t feel like much of an ending, I felt that as a reader I was left wishing for more once again.

This was not the first book I have read by Ann Packer. My book group read The Dive from Clausen’s Pier which I enjoyed. So don’t let this review discourage your from giving Ann Packer a try.

Just when you think you have this family pinned down, another relative reveals their side of the story. I loved this book from page 1 to fin. The characters and their relationships with each other were so realistic. Particular moments from the book have stuck with me and I have been reminded of them repeatedly during certain situations in my real life. It's a really memorable book. The author captures the Blair family members' emotions like they're from a bottle. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an honest and humbling family drama.

The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer tells the story of Bill and Penny Blair who had four children, three boys and one girl. Penny wanted nothing to do with the kids, even moved out of the house into a shack. The father was a doctor and tried his best to be a good dad. Flash forward years later--their dad has passed away and they have to decide what to do with the house and the property.

I loved the dialogue among the kids, especially the oldest boy and the girl.

The tale of a family over time. The relationships are strained and that is by design but I found it hard to connect with any of them. They all seemed overly self-involved and narcissistic. I found that I felt sad reading it most of the time.

I loved "The Dive from Clausen's Pier", but this book was really all over the place. I managed to finish it, but came close to giving up on it several times as it really didn't have a plot. It is all about a dysfunctional family and how their later lives turned out. It was not a page turner in my book. If you want to read it get it out of the library..don't waste your money. I bought it at Sam's Club and will be donating it to my library.

The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer is a very highly recommended novel that delves into the complex dynamics of a dysfunctional family.

Pediatrician Bill Blair bought the land for his Portola Valley, California home in 1954, before he was even married, before it was Silicon Valley. When he met Penny, he thought he had found the perfect wife to start his family with and build a home on his land. Four children later, however, Penny is overwhelmed and tired of being a mother. While Bill is devoted to his family, Penny yearns for a different life and emotionally distances herself from her children and Bill. After leaving them emotionally, she removes herself physically, moving into a former storage shed so she can pursue her own artistic interests. The children are well aware of their mother's distance and discuss launching a "children's crusade" in an attempt to recruit her back to them, to return their love.

The story of this family and the crisis that brings them all back together when drifter James shows up again is told through the memories of the siblings and their reflections on their life and growing up. Each sibling reflects on their childhood, looking back from the perspective of an adult and their recollections are as unique as each individual. Robert is now an internist, Rebecca is a psychiatrist, Ryan is a teacher, and James is still the problem child. As Rebecca, the only daughter poignantly says, "Or rather, I remembered my memory of the moment, because after so long that’s what memory is: the replaying of filmstrip that’s slightly warped from having gone through the projector so many times. I’ll never know what actually happened and what distortions I added."

I thought The Children's Crusade was brilliant. Chapters alternate between the past and the present, four years after their father's death. Robert, Rebecca, and Ryan all live in the area, while James has wandered for years. With the family stories told through each individual's memories of the events in their childhood, the picture of the family dynamics is slowly revealed and made more complete as each sibling recounts a story, a memory, and a piece of the family's history. All of their memories are enlightening and sometimes heartbreaking.

Packer is a remarkable, accomplished writer. She is able to capture complex family dynamics with empathy and compassion while still articulating the little quirks and personality traits that make them each individuals. The past does reflect on the present and all of our expectations and desires color our views even more. My only quibble is that Penny's actions are never quite explained, but, then, her self-centered egocentric actions are, perhaps, self-explanatory - simply a fact based on her choices. She wouldn't be the first individual to tire of the self-sacrifice involved in parenting.

I can see where The Children's Crusade might resonate more with readers who come from a larger family and are a bit older. Personally, I have seen members of my family, all contemporaries of the characters in The Children's Crusade, go through some of the same personal reflection, with each individual, based on birth order and personality, seeing events differently. Rebecca's comment about memory being a filmstrip that is distorted and warped due to the many replays is powerful and this concept can explain some of the present day conflicts siblings can hold. Memories and resentments can be buried deep and stories distorted by each individual's recollections. The years and personal experiences add to and change the way you view events from the past.

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Scribner for review purposes.

I've been living with the Blair family for the past couple days as I read this book. That's what it feels like. This didn't feel like fiction - - it felt like the characters were real and I was just sitting down with them and hearing about their lives.

I liked Bill, the father, from the beginning. He was kind and compassionate - just what one would expect of a pediatrician. I was never crazy about Penny and my dislike of her grew as the book went on. To me, she seemed totally self-centered and selfish and a horrible wife and mother. The house and land where the Blair family settled was as much of a character as any of the people. I could feel the wonderful sense of 'home' that Bill and the children felt towards it.

The way the book is written is interesting - - showing the children as they are born into the family - how their personalities develop - - and how they are as adults. Their adult selves reflect so vividly how they were as children and there are numerous flashbacks to cement that point.

Robert, the oldest, gave me a pang of recognition (as I am the oldest in my family) in his feeling of needing to be perfect, to set an example for the younger siblings. Rebecca, the next oldest and only girl, was my favorite in many ways; she had many of the oldest child traits just by the fact of being the only girl. I loved Ryan - the sensitive one. He always wore his heart on his sleeve and I was so thankful his adult life turned out so well. It was hard to like James and yet I felt sorry for him. He was an oops baby - not planned for - and though it was never said, he somehow sensed that he wasn't really wanted. His need for attention caused him to act out in ways that would make any parent crazy!

This was an intense and thought-provoking work. It was well-written and left me with a feeling of deep satisfaction for having read it.

Told from the perspective of different family members, this is the story of any family. Each person views events differently. They harbor resentment at past slights, things that others in the family might not have even noticed. Add to this mix a mother who realizes she wants to be more than a mother and doctor’s wife. When the family home is to be sold, the adult children return to clash and reconcile.

This is a long-winded family drama. As a reader who enjoys multi-generation family tales, I found this book had some merit. It is set against an idyllic but changing California landscape, and is basically about four siblings trying to move past the ups and downs of their own childhood. The beginning of the book is especially slow. Really the first half of the book centered around the four Blair children as children. The "drama" in the first half of the book would be Robert getting angry because Rebecca shared a more interesting story at the ice cream parlor, or something equally absurd. This book did not get interesting for me until they started to get older, and then when they were adults. Once they were teenagers and adults I found the issues they faced more compelling.

I started out being very curious about how this story about a modern day family was going to progress. Found it to be a big disappointment. Just disconcerting, not in the dysfunctionalness of the family but in how it supposedly gets explained. Just doesn't hang together believably for me.

The strong beginning faded into a rambling storyline that just didn't keep my attention. About two thirds of the way through, I was going to give up but I decided to look ahead. I got hooked by the last couple of chapters just because I wanted to see the resolution for several of the characters but the book didn't have enough going for it for me to highly recommend.

The Children's Crusade is a family saga spanning about 50 years. I could definitely see this as an indie film. It's not what I'd call thoroughly enjoyable, but it has a quiet elegance to it, if that makes sense. Solid book, not great but not bad either.

This multigenerational story about a family in Northern California reached into my soul and ripped my heart out. I see myself, my parents, my brother, my fears, hopes, and dreams in the Blair family.

Can't really say much else, can you?

The author missed whatever she was aiming at in this book. She has an easily readable and engaging writing style. Too bad the story was so disjointed/oddly paced. The points of reference she took for each of her characters was one dimensional; picking out rather pedestrian moments in each person's story in a widely random manner; not developing any character or theme beyond the most shallow interpretation.

I finished the book, but it was an effort. It ended the way it was written throughout.....with casual references to 'the rest of the story'' that left this reader feeling unsatisfied.

I was really disappointed with this book, which I had looked forward to because i've so enjoyed the author's work in the past. I did not like any of the characters nor the story. Rare for me, I did not finish the book.

The only reason I didn't give this a 5 star is because it took me a while to get into the author's voice. I really enjoyed the storyline though. I've even gone back to re-read some of the first parts of the book to see how they relate to the last parts again. I'd definitely recommend it.

FREE is too expensive for this novel. I borrowed it for free and quit reading at 23%. Boring, chopped dialogue. I can't understand this writer getting writing awards even in elementary school. Absolutely BORING!

This is my first Ann Packer, and while I did finish the novel and found it moderately enjoyable, I was left with a feeling of "so what"? at the end. I never felt there was any insight into the mother's behavior, or that of several of the children. Many of the plot threads that take up a ridiculous amount of time (which I will not mention in the effort to avoid spoilers), end up going nowhere. And my pet peeve in most books I read these days...unrealistic dialogue. I too am one of four children, and found almost all conversations among the four siblings to be artificial and non realistic. So while I did enjoy the individual vignettes about each child, as an overall work, it left me wanting more.

A wonderful family saga. The book was able to show how each child viewed him or herself and their place in the family and also how differently other members viewed them. Like life not everything was revealed in the end.

This book will break your heart and amuse you at the same time. It is a beautifully written story about families and all that is endured by children when parents lack self-actualization. It is also a time piece; a tale of dysfunction before adults recognized their shortcomings and knew what to do about them.

I just didn't care for the characters, especially Penny, who is the worst mother ever. She annoyed me, the way she abandoned her children for her art, when they needed her growing up. Too selfish. The story was slow moving and I kept waiting for something to happen and it just didn't.

I wish I could say that I loved this book. I did in the beginning, but the more I read, the more depressed I got. I'm sure book clubs will love this one as there are a lot of character flaws in every single member of this dysfunctional family, especially the mother.

It was not a horrible book and the characters were well written and it was a good story. I would read more by Ann Packer as I think she writes well, this one was just a little too depressing for me.

Thank you Scribner and Net Galley for this free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

There is no doubt that Ann Packer is a good author but I could hardly stand this book. After a few days, I just gave up, which is unusual for me but I hope that others will find it more appealing; don't take my word for it.

I give up, through the first part and I still don't find it to be a very compelling read. It moves very slowly and fairly predictably, and I don't like any of the characters enough to care about them.

There is no doubt that Ann Packer is a good author but I could hardly stand this book. After a few days, I just gave up, which is unusual for me but I hope that others will find it more appealing; don't take my word for it.

I give up, through the first part and I still don't find it to be a very compelling read. It moves very slowly and fairly predictably, and I don't like any of the characters enough to care about them.

Tepid, incongruous from Ms. Packer's typical novels. Sadly, this book did not provide a cohesive explanation of the character mom, Penny. Her husband did, yet, she was never given a voice.
In my opinion, this novel had great potential and was not utilized.

I finished this book this morning and then put the book in our trash receptacle. I am not even going to bother giving it to a friend to read. I did not care for the book and, now, I realize I wasted my time reading it.